The Dichotomy of Innocence
by FireGladiator
Summary: Whoever said that a prince should be charming and dashing as well as grow into a benevolent successor had obviously never met Sasuke Uchiha. Once a prince, and now an infamous sole Uchiha heir, he took what he wanted, and gave no second thought to those around him. And to top it all off, he has set his eyes on a certain Hyuuga princess. Medieval kind of setting.
1. An Uchiha's Interest

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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_" What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I torturing myself? Inhaling all these memories, Like a breath of fire sent from hell."- _**So Long Sentiment by Celldweller****  
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The Dichotomy of Innocence

Chapter 1

The Uchiha heir wore a heavy cloak, the cloak had the symbol for the well-known red and white fan of the Uchiha royal family on the back, and the hood of it obscured the view of an exasperated expression on his face. Sasuke's ash burned eyes looked forward, and his lips were pressed together. His sword was mounted on his hip hitting against his leg, and his grip was tight on the horse's reins. He was not pleased one bit, his eyebrows were furrowed together into a permanent scowl.

He cursed his former bodyguard, Ichinoki, for making him go to such lengths to track him down. Why couldn't he just take what was coming to him? And that was certain imminent death.

A couple of days ago, Sasuke had heard that bandits were in his part of the territory, the territory that belonged to all of the members of the Uchiha royal families, and they sought out to rob him of his riches. Sasuke had to admit that it took a lot of guts for those bandits to come into his territory especially since it had been known for its historical blood shedding. So to beat the bandits to it, the Uchiha heir along with two of his close right arm men, and what was supposed to be his bodyguard met them out in the forest. As expected, the bandits ambushed them, foolishly thinking that they could actual take down Sasuke Uchiha.

All Sasuke did was assign Ichinoki to cover his back as he cut down the ruffians, but Ichinoki was overtaken by a group of two or three of them, and became occupied. It was at that moment that the Uchiha heir found himself impaled in the back with an arrow. Of course, this did not stop Sasuke, it just took a little longer for him to cut down the two bandits he was faced with instead of moving swiftly to the others.

An arrow to the back was nothing to the Uchiha heir, he had engaged in numerous amounts of battles, always had the upper hand when it came to physical confrontation. All members of the Uchiha were skilled especially in that area among many others.

It was not the fact that the wound would make a scar on him, he had many of those, it was the fact that his blood, the blood of an Uchiha had been spilled which made Sasuke very irate. So here he was, blood for blood, an eye for an eye.

Sasuke wasn't quite sure as to when Ichinoki had slipped out of his castle, left Uchiha territory and take refuge into the country of the Land of Fire.

Unbeknownst to Ichinoki, the Uchiha heir had managed to get out some information as to where he was heading from a couple of the so called friends of his.

According to them, Ichinoki was heading into a secluded forest in the Land of Fire where he had a small makeshift house that was off the grid, and that in itself worked to Sasuke advantage because he couldn't have to deal with the meddlesome efforts of the dobe king of the Land of Fire, Naruto Uzumaki.

The Land of Fire was the country, and within that country was the kingdom of Konohagakure.

It had been years since the Uchiha heir had visited the Land of Fire since the Uchiha royal families break from it, and became its own self-governed portion of land.

His father, Fugaku was the one who advocated this break away from the Land of Fire due to his discontentment with how the current King, Sarutobi, was dealing with the Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha still remembered being young when the separation was taking place, and how he was constantly sought after by the current king, Naruto Uzumaki in his preteen years. Naruto tried to form a friendship with him thinking that somehow they were foolishly alike. He formed his absurd notion because not too long after the Uchiha spilt from the Land of Fire, his brother, Itachi Uchiha, massacred all members of the Uchiha royal families except for him.

Sasuke guessed that Naruto thought he was lonely, stripped of all the emotions that made him human, and to some degree he was correct. But, he was not lonely, no his hatred kept him company on many nights.

Along with the images of his parents laid on top of one another, blood pooled underneath their bodies, and the beautiful paleness of death plaguing their faces invaded his dreams even to the current day.

When this occurred, Sarutobi took Sasuke underneath his wing, and the Uchiha heir lived in the Land of Fire during his adolescence.

It was during this time that he had made real contact with the blond headed nuisance, and the infatuated pink haired pubescent female, Sakura Haruno.

That Sakura was nothing, but a fucking pain in the ass even more than Naruto. However, the Uchiha heir couldn't complain, he didn't mind someone wanting to lay down their life for him just for a mere glance in their direction even though, it would be all for nothing on their part.

But, the presence of it all was just insufferable, he desired power, raw, unadulterated power, and so he left at a young age.

And did he find that power? Yes.

He did so much after his departure from the kingdom of Konohagakure.

He sought after his brother, Itachi in a journey of nothing, but pure vengeance and hatred, and killed him. Although, Sasuke was almost certain that Itachi merely allowed himself to be killed by him.

Then, he was set on burning all of the Land of Fire to the ground, and to plunge all of the inhabitants into the afterlife. But, Itachi came to him in the form of an oddly humane ghastly apparition in the forest and changed his mind.

And now, he lived out his lone years in the Uchiha castle, and he enjoyed every bit of it. At first, he had received letters from Naruto wanting to know how he was doing, and he ignored it. However, the letters were relentless and came one after another, hell, he even got a wedding invitation for Sakura and him!

No, he just burned them all away, and eventually, they stopped coming. He didn't yearn for any form of human contact, in fact he had dismissed all who served him at the castle which included faithful members like Suigetsu, Juugo, and that sadomasochist woman Karin. All of the servants seemed to take it well except for Karin who was clearly distraught upon hearing the news.

But, he didn't care about her feelings. He cared only for himself and that was it. There may had been a time where he considered the feelings of others, but that was ripped away along with his childhood innocence.

Ichinoki was the only one that he could tolerate to be in the castle with him that was until the fool fucked up.

It was just best that he lived on his own in solitary solitude.

The gates of Konohagakure started to come up, there were two guards that stood outside, and they had swords on their hips. The guards immediately took interest in Sasuke, Sasuke smirked to himself, and their eyes became wide. They had on sliver amour that had the symbol for the Land of Fire drawn on the breastplate.

Ah! He could see them shaking as they rested their hands on the hilt of their swords. Sasuke recognized that certain gleam in their eyes, it was fear. These men were not the only ones who feared him, but every inhabitant that resided in the kingdom of Konohagakure was terrified of him.

The guards put on a brave front, standing steadfast, and the Uchiha heir stopped in front of them.

"Sasuke Uchiha, state your business here." One of the guards said, cheekily.

"That is none of your concern." Sasuke snarled. "Now, let me in the gates."

"I am afraid that we cannot allow you to do that." The other guard said as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "At least not without notifying the king first."

The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, he was growing quite impatient, patience was never a thing he was fond of, and he dismounted off his horse. The Uchiha heir took off his hood, and unveiled his stoic visage. He unsheathed his sword, flipping it to where the hilt pointed towards the guards, and they got into a defensive stance. The sword was blood red, and there were all kinds of tomoe running up and down the blade. Before the guards could react, Sasuke had moved past them, causing them to blink twice, and he brought down the hilt onto the base of their skulls. They let out strangled cries, and collapsed on the ground.

"Tch, nuisances." The Uchiha heir spat. He grabbed the horse's reins, leading him past the gate, and he pulled his hood back over his head.

Now, he needed to find the Ukuyoshi forest, it was a smallest one among several others in the kingdom of Konohagakure. Sasuke was not going to ask for directions, he decided to start heading west of the gates that lead him further into Konohagakure. Some of the hoi polloi took notice of them, their faces instantly went pale, and they retreated back into their homes.

They coward before him. Sasuke found it both amusing and a nuisance.

He really didn't pay attention to any of them, until a man came into the corner of his eye. The man seemed to try to blend in with the crowd, but the Uchiha heir could get a good look at him. He had white hair, and deep blue eyes. He was rather young looking, and had a lean physique.

_Ichinoki. _

He smirked to himself, allowing a mocking chuckle to come out of his mouth, and he took out his sword once again. Ichinoki broke out into a run, Sasuke swung onto his horse, and he chased after the fleeting soon to be former bodyguard. Ichinoki turned the corner, the Uchiha heir hissed to himself, and pulled out a small knife out of his pocket. He threw it towards Ichinoki, it hit him in the shoulder, and Ichinoki wailed in agony.

The pursuit ran into a small forest, Sasuke's jaw clenched, and he finally caught up with Ichinoki. He grabbed Ichinoki by the collar, tossing him aside, and Ichinoki hit a tree with a loud thud.

Sasuke jumped off the horse, raising his sword, and he inflicted a deep wound on Ichinoki's chest.

Ichinoki began to crawl on the ground, weeping and pleading. A dismayed look was on his face, his bottom lip quivered, uncontrollably, and a pool of blood trailed underneath him. His legs were flaccid, and he pulled himself only by the strength of his arms.

The Uchiha heir waited for the toxin that the blade of his sword to take effect. It was at that moment that, Ichinoki let out a piercing scream, the wound began to ooze a purple liquid, and he trembled, violently.

"No, no, please, don't let the ravens pick at my flesh." Ichinoki whispered off into some distance. His eyes began to wander, and settled on something in a far distance. He began to whimper.

Sasuke's ash burned eyes never wavering off Ichinoki, and his eyebrows were furrowed together into a disgusted expression. He sauntered to him, slowly.

"Please, don't do this, please." Ichinoki reiterated, hoping to arise some form of sentiment out of Sasuke. The Uchiha heir knew that he was not talking to him, but instead to a mere hallucination. The poison had been unique to the Uchiha royal families for years. No one knew how to make it, but it caused painful hallucinations.

"You no longer have a purpose, Ichinoki." Sasuke hissed. "I gave you one simple mundane task, and you failed at that."

"I couldn't control it!" Ichinoki wailed. "We were surrounded by numerous amounts of bandits, and I couldn't get to you fast enough."

So, Ichinoki still had some contact with reality. An admirable ability. The Uchiha heir didn't answer him, wondering why the pathetic fool didn't try to save his last words, let alone try to reason with him. Sasuke didn't bend for anyone.

He was not a man of particularly fond of kindness nor mercy.

And why did Ichinoki beseeched him? It was his own fault really, he caused his own death. He was the one who forced the Uchiha heir's hand.

Sasuke grabbed a fistful of Ichinoki's hair, throwing his head back, and Ichinoki looked at him with wide eyes. The Uchiha heir raised his sword, piercing the same gaping hole in the middle of Ichinoki's chest, but pressing on the hilt so the blade could dig a little deeper. Ichinoki let out a bloodcurdling scream, blood splattered out of his mouth, and Sasuke's sword came out of his back.

The Uchiha heir didn't make eye contact with Ichinoki, he kept his eyes forward, but he felt his body slump against his blade.

Sasuke had killed people before, but because of Itachi's death. He found himself not wanting to make eye contact with those that he cut down. If he did then, he would instantly be ushered into the moment in which he stared at the hauntingly elated lifeless face of beloved brother. The moment in which his hands were stained with the blood of the only one who had truly loved him in this wretched world.

Sasuke yanked his blade out of Ichinoki, Ichinoki collapsed on the ground, and he flicked the blood of his sword.

As he exited out of the forest, he passed by an opening in the forest, and something caught his eye. A young woman sat against the tree, a book was opened in her lap, and her head was titled to the side with closed eyes. She had a light pink dress, and her long indigo colored hair was partially pinned up. The Uchiha heir stood there, and stared at her, intently.

He recognized the woman, he was surprised that he even remembered who she was because of her timid nature. She never made herself known, always in the shadow of others including her father. Furthermore, she was quiet, and when she spoke, she stuttered, and he remembered her voice having a soft intonation to it.

She was also very kind from what he could recall. A kindness that Sasuke found to be weak. And what kind of person lets their guard down so easily with sleeping out in the open?

The Uchiha heir was going to teach her that such a thing shouldn't be done. Sasuke pursed his lips, walking up to the opening, and the sound of leaves crushing underneath his feet broke the stillness of the forest. She began to stir, her hands went to her face, and she rubbed her eyes. Sasuke held up his sword, but he paused when she opened her eyes, and they settled on him.

The two heirs stared at one another, with another blink, Hinata blushed, furiously, and she got up, quickly.

"P-please forgive me, I didn't mean to s-stare." Hinata said with an apologetic bow.

"Hmph, you're that Hyuuga princess, Hinata." The Uchiha heir grunted. Hinata nodded at him. The fact that she wasn't running away from him keened his interest a little bit. "Do you realize who I am?"

"You're Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata said as her grip tightened on her book.

"Why aren't you running away from me?" Sasuke asked, coolly. His face smoothed over into an unfathomable expression, and his lips curved into a faint smirk. "Are you not afraid, have you not heard of the things I have done."

"I have." Hinata affirmed. Then, she shook her head. "But, I-I am n-not going to stigmatize you like everyone else does. If the rumors were true, then you would have cut me down right where I stood."

Ah, yes. That was one thing the Uchiha heir had forgotten about the Hyuuga princess. She had an indefinably faith in humanity. She thought that humans were inanely good. What a stupid ideal.

"And you don't think I am going to cut you down now?" Sasuke snarled. Her eyes widened, slightly, and she backed away from him with her hand up. The Uchiha heir was at her side, he grabbed her wrist, and she gasped in shock.

"Please don't."

_Interesting._

"You're a fascinating one." Sasuke stated. "And you should consider that to be very rare because not too many things catch my eye."

The Hyuuga princess's lips parted, slightly, and she pulled away from him. He could see that she was shaken up a little, it was clearly present in her eyes, but she smiled at him, warmly.

That agitated him.

"I-I have to be going, Uchiha-san." The Hyuuga princess informed. "It was a pleasure s-seeing you again."

"Oh, don't think you can get off so easily." The Uchiha heir growled. "I don't let things that catch my interest slip away."

"What?" Hinata asked, perplexed.

"We will be seeing each another again very soon, I can guarantee that." Hinata nodded at him once again before she left the forest, and Sasuke looked in the direction that she disappeared in.

He needed someone to test his skills against, he had never had the pleasure of sparing with a Hyuuga. Also, Sasuke needed to restart the Uchiha family line once again, and he had just found the woman he would do all of those things with.

She had prestige. She was innocent, but the Uchiha heir could break her of that. He would take advantage of her ideals and use it for his own benefit.

That Hyuuga princess had better watch her back because she had just caught the eye of the murderous traitor, Sasuke Uchiha.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	2. Entertainments

******Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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**Note: This story will contain strong sexual scenes in the future. Just letting everyone know. As always, enjoy!**

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"_He comes to me every night, no words are left to say, with his hands my neck. I close my eyes and pass away. I don't know who he is, in my dreams, he does exist. His passion is a kiss, and I cannot resist." – English portion of _**D****on't Die Before I Do by Rammstein**

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The Dichotomy of Innocence

Chapter 2

No one ever did find Ichinoki's body, Sasuke made sure of that, he was an expert at disposing of people without them being noticed.

The Land of Fire was well-known for its wildlife, and the smell of Ichinoki's blood was like a breath of fresh air to them, so it was safe to say that Ichinoki probably became a part of some carnivore animal's lunch.

But, the Uchiha heir never liked to assume things. So, he laid low for two consecutive days, he retreated into a cave in one of the many forests in Konohagakure, and inhabited it.

The kingdom of Konohagakure was always thick with vegetation, and was the home to many forests. The Uchiha heir could recall when he stayed in the kingdom as a preteen, and got lost in the Forest of Death. The Forest of Death had obtained its name because of all the poisonous plants and animals. It was the epitome of the way nature natural selected the fittest to survive.

The most dangerous animal in the Forest of Death was the White Snake, some had nicknamed it Orochimaru, and Sasuke had come in contact with it even got bit by it on the neck.

But, that didn't stop him, Sasuke could still remember the amazement of the soldiers when they found him still alive in it.

_Fools_.

He was an Uchiha, and the Uchiha royal families only bred strong offspring.

But, nothing had ever been said about Ichinoki.

No, the villagers were too shook up about his presence being in the village. Sasuke didn't even need to be around the citizens to hear their fearful gossip.

Their gossip included some phrases like:

_I saw him, those soulless ash burned eyes. I saw the demon. _

_He is here to rob of us of our lives! _

And as expected, the news got back to Naruto, king of the kingdom of Konohagakure, and the Uchiha heir's presence was requested at Naruto's court.

Sasuke let the request hang in the air for a couple of days, he enjoyed watching Naruto's idiotic army of men squirm because of it, and Naruto get agitated when he didn't reply.

Then the request became **urgent**.

Sasuke figured that he better show up to the dobe's court before he would sent armies into his territory to retrieve him.

Not that Naruto had the balls to do something like that.

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The Uchiha heir arrived at naruto's palace, his hood was over his head, and half of his face was darkened by it.

"Halt, who goes there!" one of the guards shouted. He held out a bill, pointing the blade towards Sasuke, and the Uchiha heir stopped in his tracks.

"Is that how you treat your guests?" Sasuke asked with a smug smirk. He took off his hood, and the guards gasped at him. "Or better yet, is that how you treat an Uchiha?"

The guard's lower lip trembled, he bowed his head, and withdrew his weapon. "I apologize, yes, Naruto has request for you."

"Then tell him, I am here."

"Right away." The guard nearly broke out into a run through the door, and Sasuke was escorted inside. The guards kept their distance from him, Sasuke could hear them trembling in their sliver plated armor.

The Uchiha heir was disgusted at the sight, least these fools could so is have some fucking dignity.

Sasuke was led to where Naruto held all of his meetings at. The door opened up, Naruto sat on a red velvet chair, and behind him was the banner for the kingdom of the Konohagakure. He had on a huge white robe trimmed in red that trailed behind him with a matching hat.

"Sasuke, so you finally decided to come?" Naruto asked with a smirk. The Uchiha heir's jaw clenched, and he crossed his arms. "I figured that you come when the message was urgent."

"Tch, what the hell do you want?" Sasuke growled. He was not very fond of exchanging such pleasantries with his old friend or if friend is what you want to call it.

"You know why I called you here."

"I hardly think my presence here is any of your business." Naruto's lips turned grim, and his face hardened, but the Uchiha heir continued on. "I am not here out of form of sentiment for this place or anything."

No, when Sasuke had left the kingdom of Konohagakure, he had cut off all attachments to it, it was nothing to him. It had no specialty to him.

"Then why are you here?" The blond headed king inquired. "You have the citizens in quite an uproar."

"If you want to know so damn bad, it is because what was mine came into your kingdom, and I simply took back what is mine."

"I see." There was a momentary silence exchanged between the two men. Sasuke glared at Naruto, Naruto was always stuck on him, seeking to rejoin the Uchiha territory and the kingdom of Konohagakure, and Sasuke become a part of the army. It was obviously a foolish notion.

The Uchiha heir and Naruto were on a _**very**_ delicate mutual alliance after Sasuke assisted him in the war against the ominous invader Uchiha Madara. The Uchiha heir didn't help out of some form of benevolence, it was only because Madara sought to destroy his own territory as well. Everything that Sasuke did was _**always**_ to benefit himself.

But, before the war, relations between the two had been very sour.

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The door opened up, Sakura walked in, and her eyes became big as saucers as they settled on Sasuke. The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, Naruto was bad enough as far as encounters go, but now his wife, Sakura. This was all just a pain in the ass.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked, shocked and then her eyebrows furrowed together into a guarded expression. "So the rumors are true, what are you doing here?"

"I have already explained myself." Sasuke exasperated. Sakura had on a long silk red dress that trailed behind her, and her pink short hair was adorned in all kinds of ornaments. "And I am leaving, I have nothing further to discuss with you, dobe."

The Uchiha heir turned on his heels, and Sakura watched him, intently.

"Don't try anything funny." She warned. "Because we will know." The Uchiha heir chuckled, mockingly.

"So you say." Was the last thing he said before he slammed the door shut. If only they knew what went on right underneath their noses.

Sasuke made his way back into town, stopped in a small alley, and cursed underneath his breath.

He would have made his way back to his territory, but it was several days ahead, and Sasuke wasn't too keen on the idea of the journey that it all entailed.

It meant that the Uchiha heir would have to sleep in more caves, and if there wasn't a cave, out in open even if rained.

No, he wanted a bed. He wanted a warm place. He needed an inn. Sasuke walked around the streets, people shied away from him, but he gave them no interest. His eyes were kept forward, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and he walked into the first inn he stumbled across.

A bell rang throughout the small inn as the Uchiha heir walked in. A young man came around from behind a desk with a smile, but it instantly fell. A heavy air was placed in the room.

"H-hello, h-how may I h-help you?" he stammered.

"Are you the owner?"

"No, the owner is my father, I have taken over for him, since he has fallen ill." Sasuke didn't know why the son wanted to give him out that information, it was all superfluous to him. "how may I help you?"

"A room."

"For how long?"

"Does it matter?" Sasuke asked. The young man shook his head, sweat embed itself on his forehead, and he took out a key. The Uchiha heir took out some money, and the young man held up his hand.

"Please, you don't have to pay, take it on the house." Sasuke stared at him, quietly. He watched the young man shift uneasy underneath his hard stare, and then he placed it back in his pocket.

Sasuke figured that the gesture was merely a way for the owner to persuade him not to take his life away.

"Also, room service is included with your stay as with everyone, so lunch will be served in about an hour or two, it will be takoyaki with miso soup."

"That will be not needed, I don't want to be disturbed by it or anyone, and I want to be left alone." Sasuke seethed. The young man nodded at him, and reached out his hand, holding the key.

"It is room number 374."

The Uchiha heir snatched the key from his hand, walking up the stairs, and towards his room. The inn was quite, and not very popular apparently, judging by the lack of tenants.

_Good._

Sasuke detested nosiness of any kind. The room he had been given was at the end of the hallway, secluded away from the other rooms, and the inside of it was rather plain. Only the necessities were in it, a bed, a small desk and chair with a lamp, and all toilettes on a small tray. Sasuke threw off his cloak, and he sat down on the edge of the bed, enjoying the silence of solitude.

* * *

- A few days later-

The Uchiha heir figured that he had better pay a visit to the Hyuuga princess, after all he didn't let things that caught his eyes slip away so easily.

So, he went into the market in hopes to find her. Sasuke watched the crowds with his arms folded over his chest, and he leaned against a wall. He was disinterested in everything else, trying to catch sight of indigo colored hair, however, his patients started to dwindle down _**very fast**_ as his gaze didn't turn up anything.

And at the moment where he was going to storm out of the bustling trading grounds, Hinata came into view, and he smirked to himself. The Hyuuga princess had on a dark blue dress that had a sliver breastplate on it that extended outwards over the shoulder. She had on sliver shin guards, and a pair of gray shoes. On her waist was the byakugan, it was white, with vein likes cracks running up and down it. Her hair was pinned up into a bun with beautiful pins in it, and beside her were two women servants, and they had matching swords on their waists. However, the Uchiha heir wasn't interested in them.

It looked as if she had just come from training, and he was very interested in testing his sharingan against her byakugan. After all, they were revered as the most powerful swords in all of the lands.

He watched her servants lead her to a stand where they were selling necklaces, and she turned red as they held it against her neck. Then, he saw something that caught him off guard, slightly. The Hyuuga princess slipped away from her servants as they had their backs turned to buy the necklace, and she retreated to a stand with books.

The Uchiha heir would have never expected for her to do something like that. He would have expected her to follow the rules, to be an obedient little princess, so it turned out that the Hyuuga princess had a little bit of a defiant strain in her.

Sasuke moved through the crowd, his eyes never wavered off of her, and she knocked a book off the counter. He grabbed the book before it fell to the ground, and the Hyuuga princess gasped in shock. Her opal eyes met his ash burned ones.

"Oh, t-thank you, Sasuke-san." Hinata said as she reached to grab the book, and Sasuke pulled it away from her reach.

"You're a naughty princess, walking away from your servants like that?" The Uchiha heir said with a smirk. "Aren't they your protectors as well?"

"They are." The Hyuuga princess admitted. "I-I just wanted to see t-the book stand."

"Wandering away from your protectors leaves your vulnerable, Hyuuga." Sasuke spat. She winced at the harshness of his voice. "You may just disappear you know."

Hinata looked at him, shocked as he grabbed her wrists. "I have grown bored in these past days here, but I think I have just found the solution to that."

"w-what?" The Hyuuga princess tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her wrist tightened. "w-what are you doing?"

"You're coming with me."

"B-" Sasuke cut her off.

"I told you that you caught my eye, and now I want you to entertain me for a bit." He pulled Hinata through the crowd, shoving her into the nearest carriage, and beckoned for the driver to take them as far as possible away from the marketplace.

The driver didn't object, and pulled at the horses' reins. The horses began to pull the carriage away, Hinata trembled in the seat across from him, and she looked out the window.

"T-they will be looking for me..." The Hyuuga princess stated. "I-I don't want to w-worry them."

"Stop worrying about them, you should be worried about yourself right now." Hinata looked at him, speechless, he leaned back in the carriage, and folded his arms across his chest.

"You've been practicing today with your byakugan am I correct?" Sasuke asked. A perplexed expression came across Hinata's face, she nodded though, and pursed her lips. "You better be good at handing it."

"Okay." He scrutinized her, the Hyuuga princess smiled at him, kindly as she took notice of this, and his eyes narrowed.

He hated that kind look in her eyes.

"Why didn't you scream, Hyuuga?" The Uchiha heir hissed through gritted teeth.

"Scream?"

"Yes, when I dragged you through the crowds, in this carriage, why were you not screaming?" Sasuke asked, coolly. "Most people tremble at the sight of me, and I am sure that they would probably die of fright if they were in your situation, but you are calm, why is that?"

The Hyuuga princess remained silent, not answering the question, immediately, but the Uchiha heir could see that she was hiding something.

"Tell me." he demanded. "If you don't tell me now, Hyuuga, you will find yourself pressed against the blade of my sharingan."

"It w-was a g-getaway." Hinata murmured. Sasuke was caught off guard by her words, and an unfathomable expression spread across his face.

"You're a pampered princess, you sit on the spoils of the kingdom of Konohagakure, most women would be happy with that."

"I am n-not, I don't want a-any of it." The Hyuuga princess said as shook her head.

_Interesting. _

This Hyuuga princess was weak, her undeniable faith in humans, and their goodness sickened the Uchiha heir to no end. But, she was an odd woman. He was not aware of any woman on the planet who didn't want to be dressed in the finest silk dresses, and be waited on hand and foot.

"Where a-are we going?" The Hyuuga princess inquired. "I-if you don't mind me asking."

"Wherever I want." Sasuke stated.

"And w-when will I go back?"

"Whenever I feel like letting you go."

"Oh."

It was at that moment, Sasuke leaned over to her inside of the carriage, and he placed his arm on the other side of her. He heard her breath hitch at the sudden closeness, and he smirked at the sight. Her cheeks flushed a pink rose color, and her pink luscious lips parted, slightly. His breath was hot on her neck, Sasuke got a whiff of her scent, she smelled like fresh jasmine and lilac, no doubt the smell had come from perfumed oils.

XXXX

Hinata closed her eyes, trying to control her frantic heartbeat, she had never been this close to a man, and she covered her face in bashfulness.

She wasn't sure if the Uchiha heir was doing it on purpose or not. She had been clearly aware of how handsome he was, any girl would have notice it, so it only made the situation worse.

XXXX

"What troubles you, Hyuuga?" Sasuke still kept the same smirk on his face, and Hinata shook her head. He knew he was embarrassing her, he was toying with her, and enjoying every minute of it. Her flustered face amused him.

"N-nothing."

"I see." Sasuke's lips were just inches away from her skin, and he whispered in her ear, lowly.

"You better get used to these getaways then, because this is only the beginning, and I am a man who likes to be entertained a lot."


	3. The Worth of a Princess

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

_" Please, please forgive me. But I won't be home again. Maybe someday you will look up, and barely conscious you'll say to no one, "Isn't something missing?" - **Missing by Evanescence**_

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The Dichotomy of Innocence

Chapter 3

"Get up." Sasuke commanded. His eyes were firm on the Hyuuga princess, and the Hyuuga princess's breathing was labored. Her sliver breastplate had all kinds of scratches on it made from his sharingan, she was on her knees, and her hands rested on the hilt of her byakugan.

The byakugan was a long ranged sword, the blade made it impossible for anyone to use that wasn't from the Hyuuga royal family, and it provided the wielder with a distance from whoever they were fighting against.

It was used to as an offensive and defensive sword, and was the Hyuuga royal family's pride.

The Uchiha heir had to admit, the Hyuuga princess was entertaining him, but she agitated him. How tired she got, sure they had been engaging in a sword spar for two hours, but she was supposed to be used to this.

He didn't care if this was strenuous on her or not.

Sasuke never got tired of the fight, he reveled in each moment, and his thirst for it was undeniably unquenchable.

Nonetheless, the Hyuuga princess had managed to put a few scratches on his body, and he couldn't help, but notice how her face twisted in a sort of painful way when her blade cut into his flesh.

Why? Swords were made for cutting down people. Clearly, her kindness was going to be the death of her.

Sasuke had taken Hinata to a remote nearby forest, it was the perfect sparring grounds where they would be uninterrupted by anyone.

"Don't make me repeat it, Hyuuga." Sasuke stated. Hinata looked at him, nodding, and she staggered to get on her feet. The Uchiha heir raised his sword, charging after her again, and she got into a defensive stance.

He had been using the other side of the blade with her, the one that was not dipped in poison, he needed her to be useful to him, and what good would that be if she had been infected with it.

Plus, that would create some unwanted things that the Uchiha heir didn't want to deal with especially since the antidote was back at his palace.

The sound of steel clashing resonated throughout the forest, his eyes never wavered off Hinata, and Hinata winced as he increased the pressure on his sword. Sasuke's lips curved into a smirk.

"So it seems our pampered princess can hold her own." The Uchiha derided. It wasn't necessarily a compliment he was giving out.

"I-I am glad you are e-enjoying yourself." Hinata said with a kind smile. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, he instantly applied more pressure on the blade, and she fell backwards. The byakugan landed next to her, and she gasped.

The Uchiha heir sheathed his sword, sitting down next to her, but kept a distance between them. Hinata laid down, closing her eyes, and her breathing started to settle. He watched her out the corner of his eye, not saying a word, she looked… content.

Why the hell was she content? Had she yearned to get out of the Hyuuga palace for so long? Not that the Uchiha heir cared.

"Hey, Uchiha-san." Hinata asked, coolly.

"What?" Sasuke seethed.

"What is Uchiha t-territory look l-like?" The Hyuuga princess now had her head turned to him, and her eyes now half opened. The Uchiha heir glared at her.

"Why does it matter what it looks like?"

"I-I was just w-wondering…" She bit her lower lip. "I-I didn't mean…-" He cut her off.

"You have been out of the kingdom of Konohagakure on quests." Sasuke hissed. "Why are you interested in where I live?"

"I-I have never been there b-before." Hinata defended. She blushed as she continued. "I-I want to know w-what all lands outside of the kingdom l-look like without me having to go see it on a q-quest."

"Then why don't you go yourself?" The Uchiha heir spat.

"I-I can't."

"You do everything under their rules huh?" Sasuke asked, fully aware of the answer. "That's pathetic."

"I-I'm sorry." The Hyuuga princess apologized.

"Stop apologizing or I will beat it out of you, literally." He threatened. Hinata gave him a shocked expression, and then another warm smile settled on her lips.

"Okay." Sasuke fell silent, and his eyebrows furrowed together into a scowl. Then, he did something that surprised even himself.

"Uchiha territory is quiet, desolate, and is habited by ravens who have been known to be quiet ravenous at times, it is not a place for princesses such as yourself."

There was a silence exchanged between the two, and Hinata lifted up.

"I'm s-sure it is n-not like that."

"I live there, how you can tell me otherwise." Sasuke hissed.

"w-what does your palace l-look like?" The Uchiha heir's lips curved into a smirk.

"Anything that the Uchiha royal families own is extravagant, we are a proud in all ways." He informed. "So my palace is a sight to behold even puts that dobe king of yours palace to shame."

"Sounds enthralling." Hinata said as her cheeks got redder.

"Well, if you continue to entertain me, and it pleases me, then I may be obliged to show you." Sasuke stated.

"That w-would make me happy."

_Like I care what matters to you._

"Does your wounds hurt, you know where I c-cut you?"

"No."

"I-I can h-heal them." The Hyuuga princess pressed. She raised her hands, and she touched a leaf next to her. "I-I know these plants and the ones who have healing agents in them."

The Uchiha heir didn't elaborate on the subject anymore, and he stood up. "You need to go home now, you are no good to me if you are tired."

The Hyuuga princess stared at him, intently, he growled at her, not meeting her gaze.

"Stop staring at me like that, do you want me to leave you here?" She stood up, brushing off her dress, and sheathed her byakugan. The Uchiha heir walked in front of her as they made their way back to town,

XXXX

Hinata tried not to focus on Sasuke, but she found herself looking at him. His shoulders were broad underneath his shirt, his dark hair juxtaposed with his milky white skin, but the Uchiha heir was an enigma.

She wasn't sure if he saying that he would bring her back to his palace at some point was on some whim. He pushed her to her end, she was physically exhausted.

This had to be the longest time that she had spent with a man not a part of the family. Her nervousness of being around him had dissipated within the first hour. It was odd.

She was princess of the Hyuuga royal family aside from being a knight, and despite her ventures into other kingdoms, countries as a knight of the kingdom of Konohagakure. She was always confined within the four walls of the Hyuuga palace, Hinata did go out to train, but she was always watched, never without the company of her servants or the Hyuuga's own personal knights.

So, her fatigued body was small price to pay for the getaway. When she got back into town, Sasuke pulled her into a small alley, and he pushed her against her wall. She gasped, his arm came on the other side of her, and his eyes bore into hers.

"We will have another one of these tomorrow as soon as the sunrises, you will meet me back here in this place, and I will take you wherever I best see fit." Sasuke stated.

"O-Okay." The Uchiha heir pushed her out into onto the sidewalk, the Hyuuga princess wanted to turn around to look at him, but frantic voices caught her attention.

"Hinata-sama!" Hinata saw the two Hyuuga female servants run in her direction, and she smiled at the two, shyly.

"We have been looking all over the place for you!" Akane shouted, frantically. She grabbed Hinata by the shoulders, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "We don't know what would happen if we lost you."

But, the truth was, she knew _exactly_ what would happen. Hinata father, Hiashi would punish them by inflicting severe wounds on their body. Hiashi was a very strict man, especially after the death of her mother, and he kept a close on Hinata, and her sister, Hanabi.

They could not even breathe without him knowing about it.

"Where did you go Hinata-sama?" Michiko asked. Her eyebrows furrowed together into a perplexed expression. "We have been looking for you all afternoon."

"I-I saw a bookseller in the market, and h-he lead me to his s-shop." Hinata explained. "I'm sorry, I-I got caught up with talking to h-him, he was very nice."

Michiko sighed, heavily. "Hinata-sama, please don't scare us like that again, come we must hurry, your father will be wondering why we were out for so long."

"Un." Hinata trailed behind Akane, and Michiko, and she walked to her palace.

The Hyuuga palace was something to marvel at, it had caught the attention of the everyday people, and two knights stood at the gates. They had the symbol for the Hyuuga royal family on their breastplates, and bowed to Hinata as she passed by them.

"Welcome back, princess." They said in unison. "You look particularly radiant today."

"T-thank you." Hinata passed through the gates, Hiashi was standing at the door, and he was adorned in several fine silk robes that trailed behind him. His opal eyes were hard on Hinata, she avoided them, and his lips were set in a definite line.

"Where have you been, Hinata, it does not take you that long to go out." Hiashi stated. "Not to go to the market or to come back from training."

"S-she got side tracked at a b-bookstore." Akane explained. Hiashi's eyes flickered to her, and he held up his hand.

"Leave us now." He commanded. Akane and Michiko looked at him, shocked, and then, they nodded, and with a bow, withdrew from Hinata's side.

"F-forgive me." Hinata murmured, softly.

"What is done is done." Hiashi explained. "There is no sense in dwelling in the past. Your duties as a princess do not stop, and there is no room for your foolish behavior, now come, we have guests."

"Guests?"

"You shall see."

The Hyuuga princess followed after her father, there were multiple corridors, all having doors that it anyone could easily get lost in there. Hinata was lead to a room, there was a small table with foreign and domestic food and teas on the table, and there was another family sitting at the table.

A woman fanned herself, she had on a red dress, and looked at Hinata, intently. Beside her was a man who had on military armor, and the symbol for the kingdom of Sunagakure. On both sides of them were two males, one Hinata's age, and the other Hanabi's age.

The young man who was Hinata's age had long black hair that was pulled into a ponytail, he had fair skin, and military armor as well. While the young boy who was Hanabi's age had on the finest attire, and also long hair, pulled back into a low ponytail.

Hanabi sat in a chair, next to her was an empty one, Hinata's seat, and then Hiashi's seat. There were servants all lined up in the room with trays, and the faint sound of the shakuhachi flute was in the background.

"Ah, so this is the lovely, Hinata Hyuuga." The woman said as her red stained lips curved into a smile. "Truly, she is impeccable, Hiashi."

Hinata bowed to them, making her way to her seat, and Hanabi nodded at her. Hiashi sat down, and the servants began to serve them.

"w-what is going on?" The Hyuuga princess asked, confused.

"This boy and Hanabi will be married when they get of age." Hiashi stated. "This is merely a dinner in which they can become acquainted. And they are also interested in you, Hinata, their son is also looking for a wife, and he happens to be the same age as you."

Hinata's lips parted, she met the young man's eyes, and he bowed to her, smiling.

"I am pleased to meet you." He introduced. "My name is Yaji."

"And I am his father, Fazuhi." Fazuhi stated. "And this is my wife, Sayuri, and my other son, Soto."

"Fazuhi is a knight of Sunagakure, and he has very high status." Hiashi stated. "His son is training to become one."

"Soto and your sister, Hanabi share many common interest." Sayuri explained. "I hope the same will go for Yaji and you."

"I had heard Hyuuga women were strong." Fazuhi stated. "That is perfect because only strong women marry into our family."

"Oh." The Hyuuga princess felt sick, this was just too much, and it got worse as the dinner progressed.

"Oh, princess Hinata, you don't look so well." Yaji observed. Hinata shook her head, and held up her hand.

"I-I'm fine." She assured.

"You are deathly pale, child." Sayuri informed. "You look as if you need to lay down." Hinata looked at Hiashi, he glared at her, and her servants were at her side.

One of them placed a hand on her head, and gasped.

"Hinata-sama, you're burning up." She stated. "Please let us take you to your bedroom." Hinata felt her vision blur at that moment, and the sound of chairs pull out.

That was the last thing, she remembered.

-Later that Night-

The Hyuuga princess woke up in her bed, there was a tray beside her bed, and a bowl of hot water. A rag was on her forehead, and Hinata lifted up. The room was empty, Hinata pursed her lips, and everything must had been too much for her to take in.

This was not the first time that this had happened to her. Sure, she was a knight of, and she was strong, but she was also fragile.

A knock came at the door, and Hinata had an idea as to who it would be.

"Come in." Hiashi slipped into the bedroom, he looked at her with a displeased face, and made his way to her bedside.

"Are you feeling better, daughter?"

"Yes, w-what about Fazuhi and his f-family?"

"They left." Hiashi stated. "And you have once again disappointed me, how can you allow such things to happen? You are to take my place soon, and this royal family has an image to uphold. How was your training today?"

"F-fine, I am still learning the strikes." Hinata stated.

"You should have already learned them, Hanabi has mastered all of them, and you are seriously falling behind her."

"I will try harder." Hinata felt her chest tighten, she had always been perceived as the weakest link in the family even despite her achievements, and Hiashi was not an affectionate man. No, her father was stern, and cold. He didn't really pay any mind to her, and in fact, redirected his attention to her younger sister, Hanabi.

"I should not be having this conversation with you, Fazuhi has called off the possible arrangement between you and his son, but luckily, he has not for Hanabi." Hiashi informed. "I am beginning to think that the possibility of marriage is out of the question for you which will only defame and dishonor this family. Just keep in mind where you responsibilities lie."

And with that, the Hyuuga princess watched Hiashi walk out of the room, and shut the door.

Hinata wondered if her father would ever be happy with anything that she did.

XXXX

-The Next Day-

The Uchiha heir waited in the alley for Hinata, he noticed that the sun was starting to rise over the horizon, and she wasn't here yet.

He was not a patient man, and if Hinata didn't come in a few moments. He would personally go retrieved her himself.

His hand rested on the hilt of his sword where he tapped his index finger against it, and just as he was about to curse underneath his breath. Hinata ran into the alley, and he cocked an eyebrow.

"You're late."

"I-I had to get o-out without being noticed." Hinata elaborated. "I-I didn't mean to make you wait for s-so long."

"Tch, whatever." He scrutinized her, her nose was slightly red, and her eyes were puffy. She looked at him, kindly, but Sasuke could see she was troubled through that façade of hers. "Problems in paradise, Hyuuga?"

Hinata looked at him, shocked, and the Uchiha smirked at her. "You look a little conflicted this morning."

"Oh, no." she assured. "I-I'm okay."

"What is it?" he asked. "I cannot have you entertain me, if you focus is diverted on something else when it should be on me and me alone."

"I am a disappointment." Hinata said, sullenly. Her eyes fell to the ground, and she gripped her dress. Sasuke didn't say anything, unaffected by the sight, and he saw her eyes get glossy, but she restrained herself.

"Oh, and what makes you say that."

"Everyone thinks that." The Hyuuga princess admitted.

"Why does it matter, Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked. "Why do everyone matter?" The Hyuuga princess looked up at him, surprised, and Sasuke stared at her, hard.

"You should worry about yourself." The Uchiha heir pushed past her, and he stopped in his tracks.

"And you haven't disappointed everyone, at least, not me… yet."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	4. Invitations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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"_Hold another hand while the hand's still without a tool, drown into eyes while their still blind, love while the night still hides the withering dawn."- __**Kiss while your lips are still red by Nightwish**_

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The Dichotomy of Innocence

Chapter 4

Sasuke raised his sword, bringing it down upon the Hyuuga princess, and she flipped out of the way. The Uchiha heir turned around facing Hinata as she prepared herself once more, and he charged in her direction. He had to admit that she was entertaining him far more than their previous time, her movements were fast, and she seemed to withstand more of his so to say, assaults.

He didn't restrain himself when they sparred, it was completely untamed in strength, and in power. He did not care if it overwhelmed her or not, she knew what she was getting into when she allowed herself to be taken by him. And although, the Hyuuga princess was fast, he could see all her striations. The Uchiha royal families were well-known in analyzing the bodily movements of their opponents in battle.

And despite all the actions she took that surprised him, she was still weak against him. No one could upstage Sasuke Uchiha.

Hinata dodged his attack, spinning on her heels until her body twirled. The sword making a swooshing noise as it cut the air, and Sasuke smirked to himself.

It seemed the Hyuuga princess was not out of surprises just yet.

Sasuke ducked, grabbing her wrist, and she gasped in shock. He flung her into the ground, she looked up at him, and he pointed the sharingan to her throat.

The sound of their heavy breathing settled down was the only noise exchanged between the two. Finally, the Uchiha heir withdrew his sword, sheathing it, and he folded his arms over his chest.

A stoic expression was on his face as he watched her get up, and Hinata smiled at him, warmly.

"Uchiha-san." Her voice was gentle and sweet. The sound of it made the Uchiha heir cringe, but it caught his attention. That was one thing he had learned, quickly about the Hyuuga princess, when she smiled or talked, he was attentive to it regardless of whether he visibly acknowledged it or not.

Why was that? Perhaps, it was because she was the only member of the opposite sex that he had allowed to be around him for several hours a day without wanting to cut her down on the spot.

It was not out of some form of sentiment that was for damn sure.

"What?" The Uchiha heir asked, coldly.

"Um... t-thank you for earlier." Hinata's eyes fell to the ground, and her cheeks became red in bashfulness. "F-for being so kind to me."

Sasuke Uchiha and kindness? Those two words seemed odd juxtaposed with one another, it didn't even seem to be possible.

If others would have heard her say that. They would have laughed in her face.

"I am not kind, Hyuuga, don't you be mistaken, I only said that to you to protect my _**own**_ interests." Sasuke stated.

The Hyuuga princess nodded at him, and she pursed her lips.

"But, I guess I should say things like that to you more often because you are entertaining me quite well today, you have not wasted my time."

"Oh, I-I'm glad." Hinata added. "Oh, are you hungry?"

"No." Sasuke said, curtly. "Did you not eat this morning?" A hint of agitation was in his voice. He was not subjected to such mundane things, he trained his body not to yearn for food and water because it was an inconvenience at times especially if you were in enemy territory. It was also easy to attack a camp when your enemies were engorging in food, their bodies activated by the parasympathetic nervous system, and slow.

"I-I had a hot bun this m-morning." Hinata informed.

_What a nuisance. _

"Fine." The Uchiha heir spat as he rolled his eyes. He scrutinized the Hyuuga princess as she walked up to a couple of bushes with berries that were surrounding them, and inspect them. This sparked an interest to some degree.

So she was good for more than just sword fighting eh? The Hyuuga princess disappeared in the forest, Sasuke stood there, unmoving, and Hinata came back with a handful of different colored berries.

"Hyuuga, how are you so familiar with nature?" The Uchiha heir demanded.

" I-I had to study a lot i-inside of the palace especially since I am a knight, i-it was a requirement that I know about p-poisons, healing agents, and f-foods in the forest." Hinata stated.

"So the pampered princess was taught to survive?"

"Yes."

"I see, and I am sure that you have heard of the poison that all Uchiha royal families dip their swords in." Sasuke's eyes never wavered off her, and she nodded at him.

"I-I have."

"And tell me, Hyuuga, were you not aware that you could be inflicted with it when I began to sword spar with you?"

"I was." Hinata admitted.

"And that didn't scare you, does death not scare you?" The Uchiha heir inquired. The Hyuuga princess fell silent, and his eyes narrowed. "Or was it that you thought I would save you from it?"

_Ah yes, that was it. _She didn't have to say it out loud, but he knew.

There was an unnerving silence exchanged between the two.

"Nonetheless, it is a quality that proves to be useful to me." Sasuke informed. "This arrangement that you and I have may just prolong a little longer than what I initially wanted it to."

"Oh."

"I guess you wouldn't mind that either eh?" the Uchiha heir derided. Hinata gave him another small smile. "Of course you wouldn't."

"So, Hyuuga, how do you slip out of your palace without being seen? I thought that members of the Hyuuga royal family were watched closely."

" I-I leave when everyone is a-asleep, and if they see me gone, t-then they assume I am on knightly duties or t-training by myself."

"Oh, so you have no personal knight to bail you out eh?" Hinata shook her head.

"I-I don't."

"I thought all you princesses were fond of that." Sasuke mocked. Hinata bit her lower lip.

Hinata didn't have a personal knight, sure there were princesses who had one that would serve them only and no one else, but she had yet to find hers. There were many princesses that she had met with from foreign countries who were shocked to see that she didn't have one. But, becoming one, was a binding agreement between the princess and the knight that lasted till the day they died.

And the Hyuuga princess didn't want anyone to feel trapped by it. Furthermore, the personal knight would have to be approved by her father which was a very hard thing to come by.

"Hyuuga, eat." He commanded

"Oh, s-sorry."

Hinata started to chew on the wild berries, and he just let her finish.

He wanted her to hurry up and eat the food. Sasuke was not a patient man, and she did finish before the some patience he had ran out. However, the berries stained the Hyuuga princess's lips red despite her numerous efforts to wash it off in a nearby river. Sasuke couldn't help, but take notice of it. He noticed how the color extenuated the curvature of them, how it brightened up her milky white skin.

It was the first time that he had taken interest in Hinata's womanly features. Normally, he just ignored the disparities that existed between a man and a woman. He did this for a multitude of reasons, but the primary one being, if he gave even the slightest attention to a woman, they would fall over heels for him. However, the Uchiha heir realized that the Hyuuga princess was not like that, she was too timid for such things.

And, the Uchiha heir had to confess, she did have favorable qualities.

The thrumming sound of a horn tore Sasuke from his thoughts, his eyebrows furrowed together into a scowl, and he looked up.

_What the hell?_

Hinata's eyes widened in shock, and she gasped. "I-I have to go, Uchiha-san."

A growl erupted from his throat. "What?" He was clearly displeased.

"That horn is what summons the u-us to Naruto-kun's court." Hinata elaborated. "It is what l-lets us know that he has r-requested our presence."

"Is that horn special for knights or something because I know he doesn't do that for others."

"Yes, that is c-correct."

"Oh, lucky you." He hissed. "And tell me why I should let you go?"

"Please." Hinata pleaded. "It is my duty, he is m-my friend and the king, I have taken an oath to serve h-him."

"Fine, whatever, leave." The Hyuuga princess gave him a soft smile, and she ran off into the forest.

Such insignificant bonds that woman had.

XXXX

Hinata ran as fast as she could back towards town, she made sure that no one saw where she had come from, and not paying attention. The Hyuuga princess bumped into someone, they let out a low grunt, and Hinata staggered backwards. Her face flushed red in embarrassment, and she bowed.

"I-I'm sorry."

"For what?" Hinata looked up to see Kiba grinning at her, revealing his pearly white canine like teeth, and he had the armor for Konohagakure knights as a sword rested on his hips.

"H-hey, Kiba, d-did you hear the horn as well."

"Of course, Hinata and why the hurry is something wrong?" Kiba's eyebrows furrowed together into a concerned expression, and the Hyuuga princess shook her head.

"I don't want to be late."

"I wouldn't worry about that and since we're going to the same place, why not head over there?" The Inuzuka suggested. Akamaru barked in agreement, his tail wagged, excitedly, and his body covered in armor like Kiba.

"Sounds great."

Kiba and Hinata had been friends since they were preteens, and according to Kiba, he had considered her to be like a sister.

"So what do you think Naruto-san called us for today?" Kiba asked, curiously. "I know that we have no conquests that are up right now."

Their last conquest had lasted for three weeks, they were assigned to protect Naruto on a five day's journey to establish trade relations with a small emerging kingdom.

"I'm not sure."

"I hope not." Kiba sighed. "I was just beginnings to enjoy being off." The Hyuuga princess giggled.

The knight in Naruto's court bowed to them as they passed by, Naruto's castle never ceased to amaze Hinata as she entered it, and they descended down the long corridor to the throne room.

Hinata walked into Naruto's court, he sat on the throne, and smiled at them. Sakura sat beside him, and he grinned. Ino was already at the court and standing next to her was Shikamaru.

"Long time no see, nice to see you again, Hinata-chan, how have you been?" Naruto greeted.

"G-good." Hinata said. The doors were set to the throne room to give the meeting privacy.

"So what is this about?" Ino asked as she twirled her finger around her blond locks that were pulled into a ponytail.

"Well." Naruto began. "I summoned you all here, to inform you that the annual Konohagakure's fire celebration is to be coming up soon."

The throne room filled with an air of elation as voice began to chatter. The Fire Celebration was originally set up to celebrate Naruto's succession onto the throne after the former queen Tsunade, but he had changed the holiday to where the whole village could enjoy it, and made it not just about him.

It was a joyous event with all of the food, and friends to share it with.

"I completely forgot about it." Kiba stated.

"But, it is still a week away." Shikamaru informed.

"Yes, but we figured that we should start the preparations now." Sakura grinned. Even though, Naruto and Sakura were king and queen of Konohagakure, they were still both knights.

Furthermore, the other thing about the Fire celebration was that all knights and foreign dignitaries were invited to a grand ball held within Naruto's castle. The most notable foreign dignitary who came every year was Naruto's old friend Gaara, King of Sunagakure.

Hinata enjoyed going to the ball. The ball lasted late into the nights usually, and it was during this times that people say the kingdom lights up like a ball of heavenly fire. There is also fireworks, and the hoi polloi come out with their finest attire. Hinata's favorite thing about the Fire celebration was the fireworks, she enjoyed seeing the vibrant colors explode into the night only to dissipate like falling stars.

"It will be a big ball this year." Sakura added. "But, with a few surprises too."

"Like what?" Ino put her hands on her hips.

"Well, I twisted naruto's arm." Sakura giggled as Naruto rubbed the back of his head, and his cheeks flushed red.

"The ball that will be held here at the castle will be a masquerade one." Naruto informed. Ino beamed in delight, and Shikamaru sighed, heavily.

"What a pain." He said.

"Oh, hush." Ino stated. "Ugh, I can't wait." The blond headed Yanamaka turned to Hinata. "Let's go shopping for masks and dresses."

"O-oh, okay."

"I have to look better than Sakura." The Hyuuga princess giggled as Sakura and Ino glared at one another. The rivalry between the two old friends never ended.

"And as always you all will be on duty, but I hope you can enjoy yourselves as well" The blond headed king informed. "But, this will break up the monotony." In all of the years that the fire celebration had been held, there was nothing that happened at the ball, but they were there to make sure it stayed that way.

"Agreed." Kiba stated. Hinata wondered if the Uchiha heir would attend, among all of the times she had attended. He had not come, but this time was different. Sasuke was actually in the kingdom.

"That is all, you are dismissed."

And with that, they left out of the throne room, and Ino walked up to Hinata.

"Let's go shopping two days from now how does that sound?"

"Sounds great." As much as Hinata liked the ball, the amount of people around made her uneasy, she was a woman fond of the mundane, and quiet. "S-so Shikamaru-kun does that mean that you will be seeing Temari-san again?"

The Nara nodded, and he looked away. "Yeah, we haven't seen each other in months."

The Hyuuga princess made her way back to the Hyuuga palace, but as she walked, a hooded figure appeared next to her.

And she knew who it was.

XXXX

"So what was so important that it had to cut into my entertainment?" The Uchiha heir growled,

"I-I was called to be i-informed about the upcoming c-celebration happening in a couple of weeks." Hinata stated. She went to turn to him, and Sasuke hissed.

"Keep your eyes forward, I don't want you to attract any attention."

"Un." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her, and he pursed his lips.

"You mean the fire celebration don't you?" Hinata looked at him, shocked, and her lips parted, slightly.

"y-you know."

"Of course I do." Sasuke stated. He recalled getting lots of invitations to come when the dobe had succeeded the throne because he was considered a dignitary, but the Uchiha heir always declined it. He had no desire to be around others. "So I am assuming that you are going right?"

Hinata nodded.

"Your distractions are really agitating, Hyuuga." The Uchiha heir stated. "You should relinquish all of these nuisances."

"Um... why d-don't you come?" Hinata asked.

"Do what?"

"Come t-to the fire celebration, and t-to the ball held at Naruto-kun's palace?"

"That is amusing." He spat. His face giving off no hint of it at all.

"But since you are the last of the Uchiha family and have alliance with Naruto-kun does that mean you are included in the guest list."

"So."

"I-it is a masquerade ball no one will know that it is you, you don't have to w-worry about people saying anything."

"Do you think I give a fuck what other people think about me?" The Hyuuga princess fell silent, but the Uchiha heir scrutinized her, carefully. "So tell me, Hyuuga, what exactly are you going to do there?"

"Just make sure that n-nothing happens, that e-everything goes smoothly."

"If I go, you have to make it worth my time because if you don't, not even you will be able to protect everyone."

"I understand." Hinata smiled at him, warmly, and he glared at her.

Did she not understand that he meant every word? He would burn every part of that castle down, he didn't care, and she would be responsible for every bit of it.

"Tch, whatever."

"But how will I k-know when you come."

"Oh, you'll know." Sasuke said as a smirk played on his lips.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	5. The Changing Tides of a Ball

******Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

"_Like a lover, like a beast, we catch you in your sleep. The lips approach your neck again, her skin smells so sweet, it smells so sweet."- __**Hate the Day by Behind the Scenes**_

* * *

The Dichotomy of Innocence

Chapter 5

The citizens of the kingdom of Konohagakure bustled throughout the streets and their homes with even more vigor in the midst of the Fire celebration. It agitated the Uchiha heir, immensely, hell, he couldn't even get his somewhat shitty sleep without hearing the excessive chatter of the neighbors.

Furthermore, the anticipation of the celebration had reached the inside of the hotel, citizens from other kingdoms such as the kingdom of Sunagakure took residence there, and even the owner and his son couldn't stop chatting about it.

But, the most annoying aspect of it all was that the foreign visitors had brought along their bratty children.

Sasuke could hear the children's giggles from behind the walls, the sound of it made him cringe, and it persisted all day long.

His tolerance was dwindling down very fast, but there was one afternoon when it became simply unbearable.

It was at that point, Sasuke stepped outside of his room, and saw two girls playing dolls at the end of the hallway.

The two girls were sitting down, holding their dollies up, and talking through them. The talks soon turned into giggles, and it repeated once again.

Sasuke approached them, not saying a word, and it was just delightful when they took notice of him.

A fearful look came across their childlike faces as a very already sleep deprived Uchiha glared at him with his cold ash burned eyes.

He didn't even need to say a word, his glare conveyed his message.

The two girls gasped, grabbing their dolls, and retreated inside of their rooms, without question.

The door slammed behind them, and Sasuke couldn't help, but chuckle at the sight.

_Smart little brats. _

However, he noticed that one of the girls had dropped one of their dolls in the process of their escape, and he stared at it.

The face of it was slightly disturbing with its permanent smile, and an elated glint in its eyes.

He clicked his tongue, tearing his eyes away from it, and he kicked it against the door. It hit the door with a loud thud, the head popped off, and Sasuke smirked to himself.

_You forgot something. _

And with that, he withdrew back into his hotel room.

After that little incident, He never heard a peep out any child in the hotel again.

Good.

The Uchiha heir had not seen Hinata since her little invitation to the dobe king's ball. He guessed it was because she was a so called busy with her Hyuuga princess duties.

"Tch." She was probably being primed up so she could look her best at the ball, Sasuke had heard that the Hyuuga royal family prided themselves on their image even when they went out.

Still, he couldn't believe he had allowed her to talk him into going to that damn thing. Maybe, he did it on a whim or simply to humor her.

Who knew why he really said yes.

Either way, she had better make it a satisfying experience for him because right now it was not going well.

He hadn't even attended the ball, but the experience of the Fire celebration was not something he was pleased with.

With all of the pure giddy haze that hung about in the kingdom, it was sickening.

In an attempts to get away from it, Sasuke retreated into the forest to practice his swordplay alone.

The swooshing sound of the sharingan as it cut through the air satisfied the Uchiha heir, however it did not please him as much as he would have initially thought. Sasuke turned on his heels, striking the air, and he growled to himself.

He detested to admit it, but he wished that Hinata was here. She was weak, and she couldn't keep up with his movements. However, she was someone that he could be uninhibited around.

What is wrong with him? Actually desiring someone's company.

What a foolish thought!

XXXX

Hinata walked behind her two servants, Michiko and Akane, her sword clanked against her armor. She really didn't want to do this, but she looked forward to the celebration, and the ball.

But, Hinata didn't want to look particularly exquisite for it. She was a woman of mundane taste.

However, there was no way out of this, her father, Hiashi Hyuuga had Akane and Michiko waiting in her room no more than she got back from breakfast to go looking for a dress.

"What should you wear, Hinata-sama?" Akane asked, grinning. Hinata smiled, thinly, and bit her lower lip.

"I-I am happy with anything." She admitted.

"Well, it definitely has to be something to make you stand out." Michiko said with a nod. "You are princess of the Hyuuga royal family after all."

"Agreed, we want you to look like the belle of the ball, make all of the men swoon over you."

Hinata turned red in shyness at Akane's statement. "P-please whatever you pick, I-I have to be able t-to move in it as well."

"Of course." Michiko said, waving her hand. "You are a knight too, and we know how important that is to you."

The Hyuuga princess was led into a small shop, and she greeted by a rather robust woman.

"Hinata-sama, I am pleased to see you here again!" Tai said with a low bow. Tai came from a long line of women who had been dressing Hyuuga women for decades. However, Tai was the only one who had the pleasure of making clothes for Hinata's deceased mother. Tai had also been making clothes for Hinata ever since she had been able to crawl.

"H-hello, Tai." Hinata greeted, kindly.

"My! You have grown into such a beautiful woman!" She exclaimed. "Looking for a dress for the ball I assume right?"

"Y-yes."

"Come with me then." Tai winked.

Hinata stood on a podium, she was stripped down to her undergarments, and her armor laid off to the side. Tai measured her, and Akane and Michiko pulled out some dresses.

"What color do you want, Hinata?" Michiko asked, curiously.

"I-I don't m-mind." Hinata had her arms wrapped around her body in attempts to obscure the view of her undergarments, and Akane pulled out a peach colored dress.

The Hyuuga princess was fitted into several dresses that fit the measurements of her body, her head spun as each one was taken off, and another was place back on.

They were indecisive as to what would look good on her. She held out her hand in attempts to stop the madness, and Akane, Tai, and Michiko stopped in their tracks.

"Is something wrong, Hinata-sama?"

"w-what about t-that one?" She asked, strained. She pointed to a dress in the corner, it was lavender colored, and had a sliver sash rested on the hipline.

Tai's lips curved into a grin. "I think that would suit you very well." Tai took the dress off of the rack.

The Hyuuga princess tried on the dress, and Akane and Michiko sighed in contentment.

"Perfect." They said in unison." Hinata-sama, you have impeccable taste as expected!"

"Oh, I forgot, it is a masquerade ball after all." Tai handed Hinata a porcelain mask of a dove, and she handed it to her. She took it, holding it up to her face, and she stared, awkwardly at her reflection in the mirror.

But, she heard everyone whisper into the room. "Perfect."

XXXX

After a few more hours of countless strikes, the Uchiha heir started to get bored, and he sheathed his sword. He began to wonder what he would wear to the event.

He was not a gaudy individual, but he was a man of taste. All Uchiha royal family members were quite fond of the finest of everything, especially clothing.

He cursed underneath his breath, seeing how this was going to lead to some unnecessary interactions, and he headed to the nearest the shop.

The shop owner nearly fainted when he caught sight of Sasuke entering it, and he sauntered up to him.

"I need something to wear, and it better please me." He growled. The man nodded at the Uchiha heir, and he rushed to a rack of men's ball attire.

There was no one in the shop to Sasuke's fortunate fate, and after he found something to wear. He pointed his sharingan to the shop owner, and hissed.

"Tell anyone I was here, and I will permanently end you."

"I-I assure you, i-it will not." He stuttered.

"Hmph." Sasuke smirked at the shop owner, eyeing a raven mask. "Hand me that mask, and I will be on my way."

The shop owner scrambled to open up the case, and he handed him a porcelain raven mask. Sasuke grabbed it from him, placing the money on the counter, and he left, fitting the mask.

* * *

By evening, Sasuke saw the whole kingdom light up, but Naruto's castle shined the brightest. The Uchiha made his way to it, he could hear music playing just outside of the doors, and he slipped through them.

It was definitely a grandiose event.

When Sasuke entered the ballroom, his eyes fell on Naruto who was sitting on the throne dressed in his finest robes, and silk attire. Sakura was seated next to him, she had a huge dress that trailed behind her, and was red colored. On the other side of Naruto was Gaara, king of the Kingdom of Sunagakure with his two siblings, Temari and Kankuro.

He stared at Naruto, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Multiple people bumped into him as he moved through the horde causing him to curse underneath his breath, he had to find the Hyuuga princess fast.

When he reached the sidelines, Sasuke began to scan the crowds of men and women for her.

After much searching, the Uchiha heir spotted the Hyuuga princess. She stood afar from everyone else, on the other side of the room, and her hair was partially pinned up. Sasuke scruntized her, she had on a silk lavender dress, it was fitted around her petite waist with a sliver sash, and the collar line settled on her shoulders. The sleeves were split, off at the elbow, trailing down her dress. Hinata had on what looked like dangling pearl earrings, and a porcelain dove mask.

She was indeed a sight to see.

Sasuke made his way to where she was, but he never interacted.

However, he kept his eyes on her at all times though. She seemed to be looking around for someone, no doubt him, but he figured he would make her wait.

The decision to make her wait went out the door when he saw a guy walk up to her, bow, and offer his hand for her to dance.

A displeased look came across Sasuke's face through his mask, his hand moved to the hilt of the sharingan, and he began to tap it, waiting.

Waiting for her response.

XXXX

Hinata looked at the guy, shocked, and she bowed to him. She went to place her hand on his, but Hinata saw a man in a raven mask storm up to them, he had on a fine silk outfit made of the colors white and red, and he grabbed her wrists.

She knew exactly who it was. Those colors… they belonged to the Uchiha royal family.

The Uchiha grabbed the Hyuuga princess's hand, he smirked through his mask at the man who gave him a piercing glare, and he pulled her onto the dance floor.

Hinata stared at him, speechless, and then she smiled, warmly. "Sasuke."

"How dare you allow yourself to dance with that guy?" Sasuke hissed. He twirled Hinata, her hair spinning with her, and she gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry."

"I told you if I came here that you would have to satisfy me, so you're not allowed to leave me side the whole night got it?"

"O-okay." She complied. The Uchiha heir spun her again, and Hinata grimaced. "Y-you know how to dance?"

"Of course I do, I am an Uchiha."

XXXX

He pulled her against him, she gasped, and he could see her face turn red. The closeness of their dance caused her head to spin, slightly. "I don't see what is so extravagant about this ball, it all looks simply mundane to me."

"A-are they held differently in Uchiha territory?"

"We don't have such celebrations." He informed. In fact, the last time Sasuke could even recall such an event was for his birthday when he was a child before that happened.

"Oh, b-but you're enjoying yourself r-right?"

"Now, I am. I have a question for you, Hyuuga."

"Y-yes."

"How do you think you can fend off anyone in this dress?" Sasuke asked as he cocked an eyebrow through the mask.

"I can." She assured. "Don't worry about me, please."

"Who said that I was worried? But, I know how women get when you mess up their looks… although, you don't strike me as that type of woman."

He saw her stare at him, stunned by that statement. Yet, her counter statement caught him off guard, although he didn't visibly show it.

"And I-I don't t-think your bad like everyone makes you out to b-be." She said, sweetly.

Sasuke remained silent for a moment. He seemed oddly contented when she said that…why?

"Ano… did I-I say something w-wrong?"

"No." Sasuke said, curtly.

_Just what you said was…odd._

They danced for most of the night until it was interrupted by Naruto who announced the firework show was about to commence.

XXXX

It was at that moment when the mass moved towards the windows to look upon the spectacular sight that Hinata took notice of two hooded figures. The two hooded figures didn't move with the crowds instead they moved outside of the ballroom, and the Hyuuga princess turned to Sasuke.

But, she saw the Uchiha heir was looking at the two hooded figures as well.

"I h-have to go, Uchiha-san." She stated. Sasuke sucked in his teeth.

"You're not leaving me here." He commanded. "I will come." She nodded, following in the direction of the two hooded figures, and Hinata saw them disappear down the corridor that lead to the castle's riches.

The Hyuuga princess followed them down to the end of it, the two hooded figures stopped in front of the vault room, and they unveiled themselves.

_Bandits._

"I can't believe that we got past the king, Nashiko." A muscular man with a scar going down the front of his face sneered as he shifted his sword.

"We were right to come into the kingdom during this celebration, everyone is distracted, Shushoji." Nashiko stated. Nashiko was a usually slender man with a malicious gleam in his eye. He had a bow strapped to his chest and a box of arrows on his hip.

"This celebration is quite something I gave to admit." Shushoji derided.

"All sitting on underserved wealth." Nashiko and Shushoji had a tattoo of an "x" on their necks.

Hinata took a deep breath, making her presence known by lifting up her mask, and she unsheathed the byakugan. "Stop."

Nashiko and Shushoji stared at her, shocked, and then their lips curved into a smile.

"Oh, what is a beauty like you doing away from the party?" Shushoji said, licking his lips. His eyes fell to her byakugan, and his smile became wider.

It sent chills down her spine.

"So you are a Hyuuga eh?"

"Not just any." Nashiko informed. He pulled the bow from his body, and loaded it up with an arrow, pointing it directly at her. "That is the Hyuuga princess."

"Oh, really?" Hinata didn't say anything, she held her sword, firmly, and stared at them, determined. "Well, princess, if you think you can stop us then you have another thing coming."

Nashiko released the arrow, Hinata deflected it with the byakugan, and Shushoji charged for her.

XXXX

Sasuke recognized the "x" tattoo on their neck, and he hissed. Just as Shushoji was about to bring his sword down upon Hinata, the Uchiha heir moved in between them, and he jabbed the hilt of his sharingan into Shushoji's gut.

Shushoji let out a grunt, stumbling backwards, and Nashiko released another arrow. Sasuke went to grab it, but Hinata pushed him out of the way.

Sasuke didn't say a word as he watched her slice the arrow into two, but he grabbed the back of her dress, yanking her back.

She gasped as Sasuke headed for Nashiko and he grabbed his wrist, tightly. The Uchiha heir swung him into the ground, and Hinata's lips parted.

Nashiko looked at Sasuke, and he cringed as the Uchiha heir's tightened his grip. Shushoji started to get up, but Hinata pointed her sword towards him.

His hands went up, giving in.

"You are from the same group of bandits I killed." Sasuke stated. Nashiko's eyes became saucers as he stared into Sasuke's raven mask.

"No, it couldn't possibly be…."

"It is." Sasuke affirmed.

Nashiko became frantic, spluttering words all over the place. "This will not be the last time you hear from us, there will be more of us to come, we will take what we deserve from this world, you all don't der-"

The Uchiha heir cut him off by striking the back of his skull, and he collapsed on the ground.

Shushoji became distraught, and trembled as Sasuke picked up Nashiko's flaccid body, and dragged it as he made his way over in his direction.

He dropped the bandit next to his partner, and the Uchiha heir stared at Hinata.

Their eyes met, and they exchanged a silence.

"Next time, don't get in my way." He warned.

"I'm s-sorry." She apologized

"Stop apologizing." Sasuke's eyes flickered to the window in the corridor, the fireworks could be seen from it, and he pointed. "And watch the fireworks."

"B-but, what about these two?" Hinata inquired as she sheathed her sword.

"Afterwards." A small smile settled on her lips, and she gazed upon the exploding lights. The Uchiha heir never took his eyes off her.

She had no right to step in between him like that. But, Sasuke took note of the way he instinctively pulled her back, and he began to think to himself.

About how this arrangement that he had with Hinata was changing very rapidly, and turning into something much more, something quite unexpected.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


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